The present invention relates to a garment with a figure control or muscle support function comprising a warp knit fabric partially having portions with strong and weak straining forces. Particularly, this invention relates to a garment with a figure control or muscle support function comprising a warp knit fabric, in which the ground stitch is changed at a boundary between the portions with strong and weak straining forces so that substantially no difference in level is developed at the boundary.
Conventionally, in order to provide a figure control or muscle support function to a garment such as girdle, short panty, body suit, swim suit, leotard, brassiere, spats, sports tights, and the like, most commonly used is a method of attaching appropriate strengthened pieces to portions on either back or face side of the fabric of the garment main part, which are desired to have large straining forces.
Such a conventional method will be described using a long type girdle as a representative example. FIG. 29 is a perspective view from the front side of a conventional long type girdle, and FIG. 30 is a perspective view from the back side thereof.
In FIGS. 29 and 30, numeral 181 denotes a strengthened piece for controlling the hip shape and keeping an upward profile for the hip and buttock line, which extends from beneath the bulge of the hips through the outer side of the bulge to the side abdomen. The strengthened piece is normally attached and sewn to the back side of the main body fabric of the girdle. The numeral 182 indicates an abdomen-press cloth piece attached to a center portion of the abdomen part, and is attached and sewn to either face or back side of the main body fabric of the girdle. The abdomen-press cloth piece 182 prevents swelling of superfluous flesh of the abdomen to achieve a fine line of the abdomen. Furthermore, numeral 183 indicates a strengthened piece for firmly holding a wearer""s thighs to prevent sliding-up of the girdle leg parts as well as to achieve a fine leg line of the wearer, which is a relatively wide elastic tape-like material attached and sewn to the back side of the hem of the long type girdle.
Also, it has been proposed that a similar figure control function may be provided without using strengthened pieces, by applying an elastic synthetic resin solution to certain portions which could be provided with strengthened pieces to increase the straining force of the portions.
Furthermore, in recent years, it has also been proposed that a similar figure control function may be provided by using a circular knitting machine, without using strengthened pieces, by changing the stitch of the circular knitting so as to increase the straining forces of the portions which could be provided with strengthened pieces.
Having described a long type girdle as a representative example, a garment in which straining forces in predetermined portions are increased to provide a figure control or muscle support function is also widely applied to other types of garments, such as short type girdle (girdles include long or short type girdles for pregnant women), short panty, body suit, swim suit, leotard, brassiere, spats, sports tights, and the like. Recently in sports, what is called taping is performed to reduce or prevent muscle fatigue etc., and thus preventing disorder caused by accumulation of muscle fatigue, or to protect damaged muscles. However, there is a problem that only experts can perform such taping. Therefore, in these days, attention has been given to sports tights, which are provided with a function to reduce or prevent muscle fatigue or to prevent muscle disorder without inhibiting muscle movement capability, by having portions with large straining forces that correspond to parts of both sides of predetermined muscles, for example, leg muscles such as regio femoris anterior muscle group comprising musculus vastus lateralis, musculus rectus femoris, and musculus vastus medialis, musculus gastrocnemius, musculus soleus, and the like (avoiding muscle belly and providing portions with large straining forces on both sides of these muscles or muscle group along the direction of muscle fibers), or by providing portions with large straining forces on one or both sides of the muscles of regio femoris posterior muscle group (comprising musculus biceps femoris, musculus semitendinosus and musculus semimembranosus), which is called hamstrings. Hereinafter, a garment for sports use having portions with large straining forces for the above-mentioned objects will be referred to as xe2x80x9ca garment with a muscle support functionxe2x80x9d for simplification. Such a garment with a muscle support function may also be provided with portions having large straining forces according to the same method as described above for girdles.
However, a garment using strengthened pieces for portions with large straining forces develop differences in level due to the different thickness at the boundaries between the portions with the strengthened pieces and those without them. Thus, the differences in level are reflected in an outer wear and are seen from outside thereof, so that a wearer""s appearance is degraded significantly. Moreover, because the strengthened pieces are sewn to the main part of the garment, increased thickness of the sewn parts may deteriorate skin touch, or cause skin disease (skin damage).
In the method of providing increased straining force by applying an elastic synthetic resin solution, because knitted loops are filled with the synthetic resin, breathability is drastically reduced, and stuffiness is developed easily. In addition, because the synthetic resin coating directly contacts the skin, wearing comfort may also be reduced.
Moreover, a garment which is provided with a figure control function by using a circular knitting machine, without using strengthened pieces, in which the stitch of the circular knitting is changed so as to increase the straining force of the portions which could be provided with strengthened pieces, lacks stability in the stitch due to the change of the straining force. Therefore, even if garments are produced by the same circular knitting machine using the same fiber material, and are designed in the same dimensions, the finished dimensions of the garments have considerably large disparity. Moreover, because a circular knit product easily develops a so-called xe2x80x9crunxe2x80x9d, there are problems in durability as well as poor productivity in mass production. Moreover, gauge of circular knitting cannot be made as high as that of warp knitting.
The present invention was accomplished in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a garment which has substantially no difference in level at a boundary between portions with strong and weak straining forces, is free of a problem in which a difference in level is reflected in an outer wear and is seen from outside thereof, is comfortable to wear, keeps a fine appearance of a wearer, and has a required figure control or muscle support function. Furthermore, it is another object of the present invention to provide a garment with a figure control or muscle support function, in which breathability is not reduced, stuffiness is difficult to develop, and skin touch is not deteriorated, compared with a garment coated with a synthetic resin solution to have a straining force. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a garment with a figure control or muscle support function, in which finished dimensions are stable, products with the same finished dimensions are easily manufactured on a large scale, durability is good, high gauge can be achieved, and productivity is excellent, compared with a circular knit product.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a garment with a figure control or muscle support function as follows:
(1) A garment comprising:
a warp knit fabric;
said warp knit fabric having ground stitches by jacquard knitting;
said warp knit fabric including substantially inelastic yarn;
at least one elastic yarn is one of inserted and knitted in said warp knit fabric;
said garment including at least first and second portions forming predetermined patterns;
said first portion having a relatively strong straining force and said second portion having a relatively weak straining force;
said strong and said weak straining forces being produced by differences in stitches appearing on a face side of said ground stitches;
at least one of said predetermined patterns is a band-shaped and curved continuous pattern.
(2) A garment comprising:
a warp knit fabric having ground stitches by jacquard knitting;
said warp knit fabric being an inelastic yarn;
at least one elastic yarn inserted in said warp knit fabric;
said ground stitches having at least first and second strengths of straining forces;
said first and second strengths being formed by differences in stitches appearing on a face side of said ground stitches;
said first and second strengths forming predetermined patterns related to a figure control or muscle support function for a wearer of said garment;
at least one of said predetermined patterns is a band-shaped and curved continuous pattern.
(3) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein at least one of a number and a thickness of said elastic yarn is changed to produce said strong and said weak straining forces.
(4) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein at least one of a number and a thickness of said elastic yarn is changed to produce said first and second strengths of straining forces.
(5) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein the stitches appearing on a face side of said ground stitches by jacquard knitting include a combination of satin type net and mesh type net stitches.
(6) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein said first portion includes a satin type net stitch and said second portion includes a mesh type net stitch in the stitches appearing on a face side of said ground stitches by jacquard knitting.
(7) A garment according to the item (1), wherein the stitches appearing on a face side of said ground stitches by jacquard knitting include a combination of satin type tricot and mesh type tricot stitches.
(8) A garment according to the item (1), wherein said first portion includes a satin type tricot stitch and said second portion includes a mesh type tricot stitch in the stitches appearing on a face side of said ground stitches by jacquard knitting.
(9) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein said at least one elastic yarn in said first portion includes at least two elastic yarns and said at least one elastic yarn in said second portion includes a number of elastic yarns that is less than in said first portion.
(10) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), further comprising: a third portion;
said third portion having a straining force that is greater than said first portion; and
said third portion including a satin type net stitch having a substantial portion including a racking of at least two needles in the stitches appearing on a face side of said ground stitches by jacquard knitting.
(11) A garment according to the item (1), further comprising:
a third portion;
said third portion having a straining force that is greater than said first portion; and
said third portion including a satin type tricot stitch having a substantial portion including a racking of at least three needles in the stitches appearing on a face side of said ground stitches by jacquard knitting.
(12) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein said first portion includes said band-shaped and curved continuous pattern.
(13) A garment according to the item (11), wherein said third portion includes said band-shaped and curved continuous pattern.
(14) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein said ground stitches by jacquard knitting include nylon yarn of 20 to 80 denier.
(15) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein said elastic yarn is polyurethane fiber yarn of 40 to 560 denier.
(16) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein said garment is one of a girdle, a short panty, a body suit, a swim suit, a leotard, a brassiere, spats, and sports tights.
(17) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), further comprising small patterns formed by knitting stitches.
(18) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein:
said garment has a hip region; and
said band-shaped and curved continuous pattern is included in said first portion and is a part of said garment that in use covers from beneath a bulge of right and left hips to sides of a wearer""s body.
(19) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein:
said garment is a girdle;
said band-shaped and curved continuous pattern is included in said first portion with a relatively strong straining force and is a part of said girdle that in use covers from beneath a bulge of right and left hips to sides of a wearer""s body.
(20) A garment according to the item (19), wherein:
said garment is a girdle; and
said first portion comprises a part of said girdle that in use covers approximately a center of an abdomen of a wearer""s body.
(21) A garment according to the item (1) or (2), wherein:
said garment is a brassiere; and
said band-shaped and curved continuous pattern is included in said first portion and is a part of said brassiere extending from a lower region to a side of a breast cup.
(22) A garment according to the item (21), wherein:
said garment is a brassiere; and
said first portion comprises a part of a back cloth piece of said brassiere that in use corresponds to sides of a wearer""s body.